The Nigerian Army has begged residents of Zaria, Kaduna State to not be scared over the movement of troops and sounds of small arms as it plans to start its 79 Regular Recruit Intake Outdoor Exercise from Feb. 27 to March 7.

Capt. Audu Arigu, Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, revealed this on Monday in Zaria.

According to him, the outdoor exercise was tagged “Introductory shoot practice 1 and exercise first leg one”.

He added that the exercise would happen at Depot Nigeria Army Range at Dogarawa Village off Zaria Kano expressway.

He also said that even if the exercise would involve firing of live ammunition with small arms, there are safety measures and precautions in place to make it a trouble-free exercise.

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Zaria is a major city in Kaduna State in northern Nigeria, as well as being a Local Government Area. Formerly known as Zazzau, it was one of the original seven Hausa city-states. Today, it is known for housing Nigeria’s largest university, Ahmadu Bello University, as well as being home to a number of prominent Nigerians.

From the 2006 population census, Zaria was estimated to have 408,198 people. It is home to the Zazzau Emirate.

Zaria’s economy is primarily based on agriculture. Staples are guinea corn and millet. Cash crops include cotton, groundnuts and tobacco. Not only is Zaria a market town for the surrounding area, it is the home of artisans from traditional crafts like leather work, dyeing and cap making, to tinkers, printshops and furniture makers. Zaria is also the center of a textile industry that for over 200 years has made elaborately hand-embroidered robes that are worn by men throughout Nigeria and West Africa.

Zaria is home to Ahmadu Bello University, the largest university in Nigeria and the second largest on the African continent. The institution is very prominent in the fields of Agriculture, Science, Finance, Medicine and Law.